Doctor Who: The Samaritan
by Robert H. Gordon Jr
Summary: The Executor has found a planet under siege by the Daleks. The humans there are fighting for their lives as the evil machinations ruthlessly work towards their ultimate destruction. Stopping to help he finds, among other things, a budding civilization, a treacherous politician, and a young woman named Jenny who, when they first meet, calls him "Dad". Review, my fellow Whovians!
1. T

**T**

"I need another power pack!"

"They're almost none left!"

"Hold the line!"

"Here they come!"

"Oh God, this is it!"

"Exterminate!"

Fire and smoke billowed up from explosion after explosion as the outpost was relentlessly pounded by Dalek forces. The sky of the rocky sanctuary moon of Tress, normally full of stars, was scorched black by the conflict. Humans dressed in dark armor, wielding energy weapons raged in their last stand. Every other garrison had fallen. Theirs was the only hope the colonists on nearby Dorian Prime had left. Their artillery was spent, their supplies cut off. Their numbers were dwindling. Their hour was at hand. The Daleks were coming for one last assault. This time, The Citadel would fall.

A V-shaped formation of Daleks blasted through the western wall and rolled through the debris. Their shrill voices repeating their ancient battle cry, they felled soldier after soldier as they penetrated deeper into the main fortress. At the wall the defenses were breached as swooping Daleks rained death along the battlements. The leading edge of their attack ship appeared through the roiling smoke and loomed over the fortification.

The advancing Daleks headed towards a battle-scarred building. From inside, soldiers fired on them, panic and the fog of war spoiling their aim. The Daleks returned fire with their typical cold precision.

"Victory is imminent! Increase attack!"

"Seek, locate, destroy!"

"Exterminate, exterminate, exterminate!"

A small spherical object fell amongst them. A Dalek in the center of the formation lowered its eyestalk to scan it.

"Danger! Break formation! Break forma-"

The object exploded emitting an electrical discharge that passed through every Dalek in the formation. Sparks flew from their casings before they suddenly shut down, eyestalks and weapons drooping. For the moment, the fight was over. The thrower of the object emerged from hiding.

She was dressed in green military fatigues and black boots that were weathered from the conflict. She also wore pieces of black armor on her chest and left shoulder that were equally battered. Her right arm was bare and dingy with grime, the sleeve of a green t-shirt at her shoulder. Her blonde hair was tucked underneath a black bandana. Her face, young and angelic, was smeared with dirt. Still her smile and blue eyes sparkled nonetheless.

"All clear!" she called.

A group of soldiers appeared from the building. A few kept their weapons trained on the inactive war machines. Their leader lowered his tiredly. "Well done Jenny, we thought we'd lost you in the canyon."

"Almost did," Jenny said. She turned and kicked one of the Daleks. "Gotta love an EMP grenade. Let's get these secured."

"Electromagnetic pulse compensated," one of the Daleks uttered. Its eyestalk began to glow blue, "systems restoring; weapons charging. Humans detected! Exterminate! Exterminate!"

One of the Daleks opened fire killing a soldier.

"Get back!" Jenny cried. "Get to cover!" She rushed toward the building. The Daleks had adapted. They had already found ways around her software virus, and her magnetic bombs. The EMP was her last non-lethal option. On the run, she snatched up the rifle of a fallen soldier. Its power pack was half-full. Diving behind cover she turned and took aim at the resurging Daleks. "Sorry dad," she muttered, "looks like I'm going to have to be a soldier after all."

"Human resistance detected!"

"Seek! Locate! Destroy!"

"Prepare for ultimate extermination!"

Jenny and the others opened fire. The Daleks returned fire and the blazing battle began anew. The evil creatures closed in on the building. Humans began to fall. The Daleks seemed invincible.

Then one of the Daleks exploded. And then another.

The Daleks turned in several directions at once, their eyestalks and weapons searching for their attacker. Their heads and bodies rotated separately.

"New threat detected!"

"Seek! Locate! Des…" the Dalek exploded.

"Scanning… scanning! Time Lord Technology detected!"

From behind cover Jenny's eyes grew wide. Risking being shot, she rose to her knees and peered over the crumbling wall, "Dad?"

"Threat identified!" one of the Daleks proclaimed. "Retreat! Retreat! Retreat! Activate teleport!"

"Contact with attack ship lost!"

There was a massive rumble. Jenny and the soldiers looked up in time to see the Dalek ship burning with explosion after explosion before it finally blazed into a ball of flaming destruction, its wreckage skewing towards the ground away from their base. The rock shook beneath their feet and a massive plume of fiery smoke and dust appeared over the wall from the crash site. Jenny looked around as the remaining Daleks fled in an uncoordinated mob. She looked toward the ground and found a man standing among the ruination.

He was tall and wearing a burgundy hooded coat that brushed the ground. As he knelt she could see tall leather boots on his feet. Beaming, she rushed over to him. It had been ten years since she left Messaline in search of her father. Now that search was over.

"Dad!"

The man stood and turned toward her. He lowered his hood and she pulled up short. He was not her father. He was dark. He was bald. His face was stern and cold with hazel eyes that reminded her of a predatory cat. He carried a strange weapon in his hand, a sort of large pistol. It shifted and became a hefty cylinder. He pointed it at her and it whooped quietly a few times before he examined it.

"How is this possible," he said with a frown. He shook his head and bowed. "I am the Executor and, while I am a Time Lord I assure you I am not your father."


	2. A

**A**

Soldiers rushed around clearing the debris, refortifying their positions and tending to the few but grievously injured. The Daleks had retreated for the moment, giving the humans a respite. It was time to rearm, regroup, and plan for the next battle. Jenny and the Executor stood atop the battlements looking out at the rocky field beyond The Citadel. She had told him who she was and how she had come to be. Now she was bringing him up to speed on current events.

"I came here a few months ago," she said. "They were already fighting. I tried to broker a peace. I'm good at that but I've never encountered beings like the Daleks before."

"They are a singular group," the Executor replied.

"I was created for the purpose of war," Jenny said. "Deep down I am a soldier but my father taught me another way. I've been trying to apply that here." She looked at the carnage inside the fortress. "I'm not sure if I'm helping or hurting."

"You need reason to end conflict," the Executor said. "Daleks do not know reason. They are hatred, Jenny. Even your father knows that."

"I don't suppose you managed to destroy the rest of the fleet on your way in?" she asked.

The Executor shook his head. "I'm a bit out of practice. Eleven ships was the best I could do."

"Then we can expect an all-out assault in the very near future," Jenny said. She ran a hand over the rifle she still carried and looked beyond the horizon to Dorian Prime as the green and orange ball loomed over the mountains in the distance. "We won't survive it."

The Executor saw what was left and nodded silently.

"You scared them," Jenny said looking at the ruined hulks on the grounds below. "I didn't think they were scared of anything."

"It's takes a lot to frighten a Dalek," the Executor said. He stood and started down the battlement. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"To figure out a way to help these people," the Executor answered.

"Destroy the Dalek fleet," Jenny replied.

The Executor nodded. "That's one treatment; however I think we should get a second opinion."

Jenny followed. "My ship was lost soon after I got here. Any ship that's tried to take off has been destroyed." She stopped. "Wait, how did you get here?"

The Executor smiled as he led her towards a ruined tank. "You've obviously never seen a TARDIS before."

Jenny stopped and pointed to her comrades, "But what about them?"

The rear hatch of the tank opened and the Executor stepped inside. His voice seemed to echo. "Don't worry; we'll be back in time."

Jenny frowned. How were they going to get off the planet in half-destroyed tank? Still, she followed anyway. Peering inside, her eyes went wide with wonder. Unable to believe what she was seeing, she crossed the threshold. The hatch closed behind her and, with a repeating whooshing noise, the tank disappeared.


	3. R

**R**

The sun was shining in the purple sky. The temperature was a balmy 80 degrees and there was no humidity whatsoever on the gorgeous blue-sand beaches. Massive trees with their pine-like leaves whistled as a light wind wove through their branches. It was the perfect weather for ice skating.

Amy Pond and her husband Rory whisked about on their skates laughing like children. On the shore, their friend the Doctor lounged on a hammock strung between his TARDIS and a tree, his skates hanging off a nearby branch. He was thumbing through a book on twenty-ninth century inter-dimensional physics and having a laugh at all the misconceptions and inaccuracies. Feeling warm in his tweed and bowtie he began loosening his collar.

"Oi, Raggedy Man!" Amy called as she and Rory came onshore. They doffed their skates and sunk their toes in the sand. "Come on and put the book down. Have some fun with us."

"This is fun," the Doctor replied, pointing to his book.

"Doctor, we are ice skating in swimsuits," Amy said. She looked at her shoulders. "And we're getting a bit red." She turned towards the large body of frozen water. "How is a frozen ocean even possible with it being as hot as it is?"

"That's not an ocean it's an exposed portion of this planet's mantle," the Doctor said. "The mantle is made up of one solid piece of ice that cools itself internally. The core of the planet is molten rock that melts the ice from below. The steam travels up through crevasses but then condenses and then refreezes in a constant recycling effect." He looked up at the Ponds ready to go further in depth. "Rambling about things you don't care about?"

Amy nodded, "Spacy-wacy would've been just as good."

"Although," Rory interjected. "How'd you find this place?"

"TARDIS was set to random," the Doctor said with a shrug.

Amy stepped under the tree to apply more sunscreen. She paused and ran her fingers over the trunk. "TARDIS was set to random?" she asked. Arching an eyebrow she pointed. "Explain then why there are two entwined hearts scored into this tree with the initials T.D. and R.S.?"

"The Doctor and River Song?" asked Rory. "You brought River here?"

The Doctor wore a defeated face. "She likes to ice skate."

"She likes to ice skate?" Amy asked taking a seat to lotion her legs.

Rory snapped his fingers and pointed. "Yes, she once mentioned you took her skating on the Thames in 1814 with Stevie Wonder for her birthday."

The Doctor mulled it over and nodded. "That's a splendid idea, thank you Rory."

"Oops," Amy said eyeing her husband with a smile, "spoilers."

"Maybe not," Rory said settling down next to his wife. "He got the idea from somewhere." He gave Amy a kiss. "And it appears he got it from your hopelessly romantic,"

"Mmm and deluded," Amy added accepting another kiss.

"Husband," Rory finished. He paused. "She also mentioned something about two Doctors."

The Doctor looked up from his book. "That was an entirely different birthday."

"That's what she said," Rory replied. He thought about it for a moment and decided to let it go. Instead he turned back to Amy. "Where were we?"

"Considering moving our debate into the TARDIS," Amy answered.

Rory took her in his arms and moved in for another kiss when his eye fell on something strange. He paused and looked up with a frown.

"Oi, Stupid Face," Amy said, "ex-model wife, in a swimsuit on an exotic beach."

"The huts," Rory said looking at three straw huts with thatched roofs a few feet away.

"Good idea," Amy said with a leering grin.

Rory frowned. "No, there were only two of them when we got here."

The Doctor was roused from his reading and turned to look. There were three huts, evenly-spaced approximately fifty yards away. Going through his memory he recalled their arrival. They had burst from the TARDIS, he'd nearly fallen having put on his skates before getting close to the ice. Amy was teasing Rory who was having trouble getting his balance and there were TWO huts on the beach.

The Doctor bounced up from the hammock and drew his sonic screwdriver. He aimed it at the group of shelters, the device buzzing in his hands. "Head for the TARDIS. We don't know what's going to come out of there."

"I look ridiculous!" A woman stepped from the middle hut. She was wearing rugged boots with bronze military pants haphazardly bloused and billowing. She had on an equally swimmy dark red shirt with a leather mantle and collar that hung down to mid-thigh and was broken by a military belt around her stomach. Hanging from the belt was a holster that held a weapon similar to The Executor's. Her hair was up in a ponytail and drape style and there were leather cuffs on her wrists. She looked down at herself and turned back inside the hut. "Seriously, I can parachute from orbit in these pants."

"Let's get in the TARDIS," Amy said, pulling at Rory.

"Why?" Rory asked.

"Because you're staring, I'm in a two-piece and I'm feeling self-conscious," Amy said.

Rory stood straight and cocked his head to the side, "Said my model wife."

"It's all I have." The Executor exited the hut and examined Jenny's uniform. He had shed his long coat revealing an outfit similar to Jenny's although his pants were better-fitting and, in place of the long red shirt, there was a bronze shirt and a burgundy waistcoat with a long red drape and leather mantle with a high collar and open neck.

"The wind better not blow too hard or I'll be taking off," Jenny said. She looked around. "Where are we?"

"Okay, we can go inside now," Rory said.

Amy took a step forward eyeing the Executor, "Oh really, why?"

"Because you're staring, I'm not wearing a shirt and I'm feeling self-conscious," Rory sniped.

The Doctor took an unsteady step ahead of them. "How's this possible?" He pointed his sonic screwdriver at Jenny and scanned her. Checking the device confirmed his vision. It was Jenny. She was alive and she was with the Executor.

Jenny craned her neck and spotted the Doctor and the others. Her face broke out into a beaming grin, "Dad!" She charged toward him, her running awkward in her pants.

The Doctor took off to meet her halfway, leaving Rory and Amy behind to share a confused look and the question, "Dad?" The pair turned and rummaged underneath the hammock where Rory grabbed a shirt and whipped it on while Amy tugged at it trying to claim it as her own. He won the struggle by running after the Doctor. Amy followed making sure to keep Rory between her and the newcomers.

The Doctor swept Jenny up in his arms and swung her around. "How is this possible?" He set her down and held her face in his hands. "I saw you die. You were shot."

"I woke up," Jenny said with a shrug.

"Partial regeneration," the Doctor deduced. He gestured around her body. "Of course, you can regenerate you just didn't know how. You healed but you didn't change."

Jenny nodded. "That's what the Executor said. He told me about regeneration and showed me your face so I'd recognize you." She patted at her legs and straightened her shirt. "These pants are insane." She peered around him to Amy and Rory. "Who're your friends?"

The Doctor stepped aside and pointed. "The skinny gentleman is Rory. The woman hiding behind him is Amy." He looked to them and smiled. "Amy, Rory, this is Jenny." He straightened his bowtie. "She's my daughter."

Amy looked back and forth between them, "With who?"

Rory leaned in and shook Jenny's hand, "Pleasure to meet you."

"Seriously, am I a grandmother already?" Amy asked.

The Doctor was grinning when he registered what Amy had said. He snapped out of his happy fugue and turned to her. "What? No! No, she came along before I met River. It's a long story. There was a planet and a Progenation Machine, my DNA was harvested, and I thought she was dead but she's not." He hugged Jenny again. Looking past her he found the Executor standing nearby, his face stern. The Doctor stepped back. "Amy, take Jenny into the TARDIS and find her something that fits."

Jenny sighed dramatically. "Thank you."

Amy held out an arm. "Come with me. It looks like your Time Lord has the same fashion sense as ours." They started off.

"Rory go with them," the Doctor said, staring at the Executor.

"Right," Rory said hustling away.

In a moment, the two Time Lords were alone. The beach was silent. A breeze rustled through the trees.

"Lord Doctor," the Executor said with a slight bow.

"Lord Executor," the Doctor replied with a bow of his own.

"River's parents?" asked the Executor.

"Yes," the Doctor said carefully. "Where did you find her?"

"The same place I found this." the Executor tossed something at the Doctor's feet. It was a Dalek eyestalk. "Keep it. There is a fleet more where it came from."

The Doctor picked up the eyestalk. Without a word he turned and headed toward the TARDIS.

"Our home," the Executor said, following him. "You sacrificed our home; billions of lives, and for WHAT?"

The Doctor rounded on him. "Did you really think that every Dalek in the universe was attacking Gallifrey that day?"

"Of course not," the Executor said. "But I would think that after you slaughtered our people you would spend at least a few minutes or so hunting down what was left of those abominations and rendering them to ash!"

"I DID!" the Doctor yelled. His fists were clenched at his sides, face red. He took a breath and stepped back. "For a time, for a long time I was… I was YOU! I hunted them down wherever I could find them and I wiped them out. I showed no mercy!"

"What happened?" the Executor asked.

"Like you I learned the fundamental truth concerning a thirst for blood," the Doctor said looking over the ice. "You can only drink for so long before you lose a taste for it." He flicked his gaze back to the Executor. "I'll be taking Jenny with me now that you've rediscovered your appetite."

"I found her at an outpost over a planet called Dorian Prime five hundred years from now," the Executor said. "She was helping the people there."

"Fighting," the Doctor nodded, resigned.

"Sort of," the Executor replied. He caught the Doctor's look. "She first tried making peace. Naturally that worked as well as you would think with Daleks involved. She was using non-lethal ordinance. You taught her well."

The Doctor frowned. "With your TARDIS and your experience you could've blown the Daleks out of the sky. One fleet would be no match for you." He clapped his hands and pointed. "You're here for help." He laughed and spun in place. "The Executor, Bane of Skaro is trying _not_ to massacre Daleks." He laughed again, "How many Dalek ships?"

"A standard fleet less eleven vessels," the Executor said.

"What are our odds?" the Doctor asked with a broad smile.

"Slim to none," the Executor said. "The next fight will be the last."

"So, figure out a way to stop imminent annihilation from a Dalek fleet without wiping out either side," the Doctor said. "I accept your challenge."

"Just remember what will happen if you fail," the Executor warned.

"Such a kill-joy," the Doctor headed for The TARDIS with the Executor in tow. He burst inside, sliding to a stop before Jenny and Amy. "My dear Jenny, _that_ is much better."

Jenny smiled. She had kept the boots but found a beige pair of military trousers that fit properly. The belt was at her waist this time complete with holster. Her shirt was long-sleeved, dark red and tucked into her trousers. Over that she wore a tight biker-style jacket. She tugged at the brown leather, "Now I can actually move properly."

"There is nothing of Gallifrey in that," the Executor commented.

Amy looked at Jenny and nodded, "Show him."

Jenny pointed revealing Gallifreyan crests etched into the lapels and the left shoulder.

"Is it suitable?"

"It'll do," the Doctor said. Jenny joined the Executor outside. The Doctor watched her leave before spinning back around. "Ponds, I'm afraid the vacation has to end early."

"Oh no Raggedy Man, you are not dumping us again," Amy said. She called over her shoulder. "Rory, stay where you are."

The Doctor smiled and rushed back through the TARDIS doors. He whipped out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the command console. The doors slammed shut as Amy tried to run after him. The TARDIS took off a moment later.

The Doctor turned to the others. "It's all right; the TARDIS will drop them in their back yard."

The Executor shook his head, "And they called me heartless."

"I promised I'd keep them safe," the Doctor said firmly.

They headed into the hut and entered the Executor's TARDIS and its control room. It was slivery-white and ovular-shaped the tapered end on the other side of the room. There were five chairs staggered in a "V" formation from a sixth at the far end of the room. All of the chairs featured four-point harnesses. Two had arch-shaped control consoles.

The Executor whipped the drape of his waistcoat back as he sat in the pilot's seat. The chair rotated front and slid beneath the console. Jenny sat at her station and strapped in. The Doctor took the chair opposite her and to the left of the Executor. He rubbed his hands together waiting.

"Gonna need a workspace," he said.

The Executor arched an eyebrow as he activated the ancient ship's systems. Transparent screens materialized above his console displaying various bits of information. "Not sure I want you with control of anything more dangerous than a soft drink dispenser." He tapped two keys.

The Doctor smiled as a console materialized in front of him. He began pressing buttons and flipping switches. "What do we have here? Oh, sensors and navigation. I love navigation. I am the Navigator."

The Executor laughed. "Do you remember her?"

The Doctor shared his amusement. "Worst sense of direction ever." He looked to Jenny who was amusedly confused. "She chose the name as a joke."

The Executor prepped the TARDIS for flight. "Where are we going?"

"We need to figure what on Dorian Prime is so important that the Daleks want it," the Doctor said.

"We're on our way," the Executor said, taking hold of the control bars.

"Oh that is just horrible," the Doctor said. "You've a TARDIS with motorbike controls. You need a phrase that's more dramatic, that has flare."

"Like what?" the Executor asked.

"Geronimo!" the Doctor yelled.

The Executor shook his head, "God help us." Kicking a pedal at his left foot, he activated the engines. He twisted the handle at his right and they were off.


	4. D

**D**

The mood in the Senate Chamber was tense. The room with its vaulted ceilings and towering white columns echoed with the voices of arguing politicians. The High Council had yet to deliver an edict. Reports from above were sporadic at best and grim when they arrived. The population was terrified. It seemed that after centuries of hardship, their newfound prosperity would be all-too-brief.

One of the Senators, an older balding man with white hair stepped down from his seat and walked to the center of the round room. "Ladies and gentlemen, please. We need order. Order!" The chamber quieted. He swept his flowing gray robe out of his way as he turned. "The High Council has deliberated long enough. We have waited long enough." He pointed towards the ceiling. "Our forces are locked in combat and they are losing. Soon, the Daleks will be descending upon us. The time for discussion is over. Now is a time for action!"

"We cannot act without the blessing of the High Council," someone interjected.

The Senator gestured with open hands. "We must." He pointed. "Outside this chamber are seven million children and countless others who will die if we do not." He paused. "Our powers allow for diplomacy. "Perhaps we can try again?"

"The last seven emissaries we sent were killed," someone else yelled. "Who would volunteer for certain death?"

"We have to try," the Senator suggested. "Find out what they want."

"They want to destroy us!"

"You're mad!"

"Sit down!"

"Senator Haka is right."

The room rustled with voices as a man dressed in robes far more regal than the rest swept into the center of the room. He had tanned skin, a wreath of brown hair and fierce green eyes. He extended his hands. Senator Haka took them and bowed, touching his forehead to the newcomer's knuckles. The newcomer turned and bowed to the other senators who stood and bowed in turn. He was Janus Yatt, leader of the High Council.

"Senator Haka is right. Something must be done," Janus said. "The High Council has deliberated and we have come to a decision. For some time we've known that our new prosperity would attract outsiders. We also knew that some of them would not be friendly. We've worked too hard and overcome too much to be cannon fodder. So, we developed an ultimate weapon of defense. It is complete and ready for service." He clasped his hands together and bowed his head. "Sadly we cannot move it to the citadel on Tress."

Senator Haka blanched, "What of our forces there? You would sacrifice them?"

"I don't like it any more than you Haka," Janus said. "We risk the destruction of that weapon by trying to get it to them. If it were lost, we would be at the mercy of the Daleks."

"We still don't know why they chose to attack us," Haka said. "It could be as simple as finding common ground."

"Common ground with the Daleks?" Janus asked, "There is no common ground with them. There is no feeling, no pity no mercy. It is pointless to even wonder why they chose to attack us instead of the next inhabited planet. Daleks destroy anything that is not Dalek." He turned to the rest of the chamber. "We can defend ourselves. We _will_ defend ourselves. When they come they will crash like waves against the shore and be scattered like the orange sea spray!"

The chamber erupted into cheers and cries of impending victory. Senator Haka watched the commotion, a sinking feeling creeping into his heart. One weapon, regardless of power, would not be enough against their enemy. His planet seemed doomed to fall to merciless violence and ignorant hubris.

**The Samaritan**

Above the city, the Executor's TARDIS streaked across the sky disguised as a sleek military aircraft. Inside the control room, the walls floor and ceiling had turned transparent, giving full view of their surroundings. While he took readings from the city below, the Doctor studied the buildings, a frown on his face.

"So right now we look like one of their star-fighters?" Jenny asked.

"Yes," the Executor said. "The illusion is created by a chameleon circuit. When the TARDIS materializes she scans the area and assumes the form of something that would fit in."

"So his TARDIS landed on a tropical beach with a frozen body of water and turned into a blue police box?" Jenny asked.

"His chameleon circuit is broken," the Executor said.

"I like my police box," the Doctor murmured.

"So what does your TARDIS really look like?" Jenny asked.

"A silver rugby ball," the Executor said.

"I prefer the spaceship," Jenny said.

"What's got into you?" the Executor asked over his shoulder.

"The power grid readings," the Doctor said. "Do they look familiar to you?"

The Executor ventured a look. He frowned. "A little." He swung the ship around. "It looks like the civilization is expanding."

Jenny nodded. "Everything is. I was told that they used to be in dire straits up until a few years ago."

"How so?" asked the Doctor.

"They were farmers but climate change was making that nigh-impossible. Then there was this huge jump in technology and things changed overnight. Places suddenly had power. There were new industries. They conquered space and opened trade with other worlds. They found key minerals and elements in the planet and began mining the surrounding moons. Things got really good after that."

"Cue the Daleks," the Executor said.

"Just showed up out of nowhere and started attacking the outposts on the moons," Jenny confirmed. She pointed. "We're coming up on the Senate Building. I've never been there but that's where we wanna go."

"How does the government work?" the Doctor asked.

"Senate drafts the laws," Jenny said. "The High Council rules on them and ratifies them. Neither side can do anything without the other."

Outside, the craft seemed to disappear. On the grounds of the Senate Chamber, near several kiosks, another appeared unnoticed. A few moments later a door opened at the back and the trio of Time Lords emerged, the Executor having added his hooded coat. They looked out of place among the robed citizens of Dorian Prime but no one seemed to notice. Jenny led the way, her face familiar with the locals who looked favorably on her. The Doctor and the Executor lagged behind.

"A maverick," the Doctor said to him.

"What?"

"You gave her a maverick," the Doctor clarified. He was referring to the chrome cylinder holstered on Jenny's right leg. The size and diameter of a flashlight, it was a newer, flashier copy of the Executor's sidearm, a device that was part sonic screwdriver, part weapon.

"It seemed appropriate," the Executor said.

"Giving a recovering soldier a deadly weapon?" the Doctor asked.

The Executor pointed at the sky. "Daleks, battle, remember? It's not like my TARDIS spits out your useless toy."

"Give me five minutes and it will," the Doctor said.

"Don't you dare."

The trio climbed the sprawling steps, passing politicians and pedestrians. Jenny's presence caused something of a stir as they entered the Senate building. A small crowd gathered to watch. As they approached a manned guard post, the Doctor skipped ahead, whipped out a leather wallet and showed its contents. "As you were soldier, I need to see the High Council immediately. It is a matter of utmost importance."

"And who are you?" the guard asked.

"What are you talking about?" the Doctor asked. He turned the wallet to view the inside. "My credentials are right…" The paper inside was blank. He closed the wallet. "Sorry picked up the wrong identification folder this morning. I'll just go get it and come back." He turned toward the others and drew his sonic screwdriver from his pocket, scanning around them. Checking it, he nodded, "Psychic dampening field."

"That's odd," the Executor frowned. He looked to Jenny. "Would they have need for something like that?"

Jenny shook her head. "I wouldn't think so." She walked up to the guard and gave him a smile. "Hey."

"You're Jenny of Messaline," the guard said excitedly. "I thought you were up on Tress?"

"Popped down to see the High Council and give them a sit-rep," Jenny said. She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "Pardon my friend back there, he's a bit off. Can you show us the way?"

"Of course," the guard stepped aside.

Jenny turned and gestured to the others. "Follow me." The Doctor saluted and sped to her side. The Executor shook his head and walked after them.

They shown to a spacious office. Jenny took a seat in front of a large desk. The Doctor moved around the room examining the various knickknacks and curiosities the owner of the office had on display. The Executor loomed apart from the others seemingly disinterested.

The door opened and Janus entered in a whirlwind of billowing robes and a flashy smiles. He extended both his hands halfway to his desk. "Jenny of Messaline in my office. I have truly arrived. The stories the soldiers tell about you are a constant inspiration."

Jenny took his hands and bowed her forehead to them. "Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice."

"Yes I do admit to some confusion as I was under the impression you were guarding our final outpost." Janus took a seat at his desk.

"I managed to send for help." Jenny pointed. "This is my father the Doctor and another associate the Executor. You're not going to find two men with more experience dealing with Daleks."

"Your father?" asked Janus. "He barely looks older than you."

"Healthy living," the Doctor said leaning forward. "We understand you have a Dalek problem and we're here to help."

"We welcome it," Janus said. "The Daleks came from the ether. They refuse to talk. They refuse to negotiate. Exterminate is all they seem to know. We don't know why. It doesn't seem as if they need a reason."

"Sounds familiar," the Executor mused. His eyes fell on an object sitting on a pedestal. There was something about it… His hand strayed to his maverick but he stopped. There was no way to draw the device unnoticed. His eyes fell on other objects in the room. There was something about them as well. The stem of a desk lamp, the face of the desk, it was all familiar. Behind the High Council Leader there was a wall with what appeared to be convex plates evenly-spaced. It was a beautiful decoration, artful and powerful at the same time.

"On our way in we noticed that the concentration of Daleks is restricted to this part of your galaxy," the Doctor said. "They are here and no place else. I would wager they aren't even from this galaxy so the question is, why come to Dorian Prime?"

"I've contemplated that very thing," Janus said. "All we can come up with is it must have something to do with our recent technological renaissance."

"Oh?" the Doctor said. He sat back and tented his fingers. "Do tell."

"Five years ago all of this did not exist," Janus said proudly. "Our 'senate' met in a barn every other week to discuss matters. We were a primitive people. Then there was an innovation, electricity. After that the advancements just kept coming until we were roaming the stars and colonizing our planet's habitable moons. It was not long after we established the outpost on Athos our furthest moon that the Daleks appeared."

"Five years?" the Doctor said with a nod. His eyes darted back to Janus and he smiled. In a flurry of movement he jumped to his feet. "I know just what needs to be done."

Janus sat back aghast, "Really?"

The Doctor nodded. "We are going to open communications with the Daleks and find out their plans."

"Every ambassador we've sent has been killed," Janus said.

The Doctor waved it off. "Oh I'm certain I can at least get them talking. Once we find out what it is that they want, we can go from there."

"We don't know how to reach them," Janus stammered.

"We'll use our ship to fly up and speak directly," the Doctor said. "Don't worry, the first thing we'll do is negotiate a cease-fire."

"And if you can't?" Janus asked.

The Doctor jerked a thumb over his shoulder, "That brooding gentleman behind me will ensure those ships never get near this planet. Throw me into the mix and you have nothing to worry about."

"I am the leader of the High Council, Doctor, worrying is what I do," Janus said. "I am not accustomed to wagering the lives of my people on the word of a complete stranger."

The Doctor smiled. "If things continue on their present course, Tress will fall and the Daleks will destroy you. What do you have to lose?"

"Indeed," Janus said. "All right. Do what you can."

The Doctor leaned on the desk and offered his hand. "Good day, sir."

**The Samaritan**

The trio left the office, the Executor leading, his coat billowing out behind him. They marched through the halls and outside where they descended the steps, the Executor stopping short at the bottom. He looked around at the street in front of them. It was paved and smooth, the sidewalks well-maintained. Vehicles hovered past and were docked nearby. Directly across was a horse-drawn wagon.

"How do you intend to open a dialogue with the Daleks?" he asked, his eyes still searching.

"They don't know who I am," the Doctor said.

The Executor looked to him frowning. "How is that possible?"

"I did them a favor at the Dalek Asylum," the Doctor explained. "While I was there I managed to get myself erased from every databank in the universe. They don't remember me."

The Executor arched an eyebrow, "Impressive." He reached into the pocket of his coat and removed a large metal sphere. He held it up for the others.

The Doctor took one look at it and snatched it away. The Executor walked towards a docked hover-car and knelt beside it. He ran a hand over its fender. "I noticed something when we were in that office. It bothered me enough to swipe that. Five years he said. They went from candles and woodstoves to fusion reactors and hovering vehicles in five years. We are supposed to believe that it was the harnessing of electricity that opened the floodgates?"

The Doctor turned the bronze-colored sphere in his hands. It was made by welding two equally-sized halves together. He drew his sonic screwdriver and scanned it. Holding up the device he checked the results. In shock, he looked around. He rushed to a nearby hover-car and scanned it. The result was the same. He went to a nearby utility pole and scanned it. The result was the same.

"Something is off," the Executor continued staring stared at the horse and wagon. "No society, regardless of intellect, advances this fast without help."

The Doctor stared at the cowling on a streetlamp. It was an upside-down bowl with three holes in it; two for the dome lights and a rectangular slot where the eyestalk would protrude. "It's Dalek," he said in shock. "Their technology is Dalek." He turned and sprinted for the TARDIS with the others close behind.

Inside, he jumped into his seat and worked his hands over the controls. Jenny took her seat but watched her father intently. A few seconds later, they were in flight.

"It wouldn't just be the technology," the Doctor said. "The Daleks don't care for scavenging. Broken technology is flawed. Flawed is useless. That's not what would have brought them."

"What are you looking for?" Jenny asked.

The Doctor adjusted the sensors but was coming up nil. "Something I do not want to find."

From his seat the Executor said, "What frequencies would be initially undetectable to Dalek technology?"

The Doctor snapped his fingers and pointed. "Brilliant! A sub-wave network would take time for them to detect and the people on Dorian Prime wouldn't know… to look. There!"

The room filled with a sound. It came in rapid successions of threes; beep-beep-beep, beep-beep-beep. The Executor and the Doctor shared a grave look. Jenny looked back and forth between them, still not understanding.

"What is it?" she asked.

"That's the sound of Dalek desperately calling for help," the Executor said. "The attack is not an attack. It's a rescue mission."


	5. I

**I**

Janus stood in his office examining the empty pedestal where his sphere used to sit. His door opened and a woman with short black hair, ice-blue eyes and pale skin entered. Her official-looking robes hushed around her as she came to an abrupt stop near Janus and bowed curtly. Janus turned to her and returned the bow.

"Milady Mistral," Janus said. "Jenny of Messaline was in here with two men who claim to have experience with Daleks. They offered to help with our problem."

"How so, sir?"

"They wish to open a dialogue with the Daleks," Janus said. "I fear they may succeed. As secretary of our defense forces you can understand why that would be catastrophic."

Mistral's severe features grew tight as she pressed her lips together. "What would you have me do?"

"We cannot allow the truth of our prosperity to be revealed," Janus said. "We need to render diplomacy impossible. I thought that killing the other emissaries would have been enough but I fear Jenny and her friends will have to be sacrificed as well."

"She would make a spectacular martyr. Where is she now?" Mistral asked.

"On her way back to Tress," Janus answered. He clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward his desk. "The soldiers there have fought valiantly."

"Indeed they have," Mistral said, understanding. "They and Jenny of Messaline will become legend but what of the Daleks?"

"They will see our strength and understand its meaning," Janus said. "They will either retreat or be destroyed. Once we are sure Jenny has arrived on Tress…"

Mistral bowed. "It will be done."

**The Samaritan**

Aboard the Executor's TARDIS the three Lords of Time debated on their next move.

"I should go and speak with the Daleks," the Doctor said. "Their ignorance as to who I am can be an advantage."

"Or one of them figures it out and they shoot you," the Executor said.

"I'll go then," Jenny said.

"No, absolutely not," the Doctor said forcefully.

"I've spoken with them already," Jenny said, "albeit briefly."

"What did you say?" the Doctor asked.

"I asked them for peace," Jenny replied.

"And they said?" asked the Executor.

"Exterminate," Jenny replied sourly.

"I'll go," the Executor said.

"Are you mad?" the Doctor asked. "They may shoot me. They _will _shoot you, then reanimate your body and shoot you again."

"Not if they don't recognize me," the Executor said. He stood and went to the nearby wall. The smooth surface recessed slightly and slid to one side.

The Doctor followed him. "One scan and they'll know you're a Time Lord. After that you're dust."

The Executor removed a small box and pressed a button. The top of the box lit green. He placed it on his belt. Turning to Jenny he held out his arms. "Scan me."

Jenny drew her maverick. Shining and covered with intricate lattice-work, the tip glowed a soft blue as she waved it over him. She held it up, the readings appearing in her mind. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Blimey, it says you're human."

"Bio-damper," the Executor said. "Complete with perception filters so they don't recognize that it's there or anything else."

"And if it fails?" the Doctor asked.

"There is a certain amount of security with notoriety," the Executor said. "In the meantime you can uncover the source of that signal."

"So what do I do?" Jenny asked.

"Go back to Tress and finish prepping the troops there," the Doctor said. "If it all goes south you can buy us more time."

"Thought you didn't want me fighting," Jenny said smartly.

"I don't," the Doctor said. "That's why the Executor and I will do our best to see that you won't have to." He straightened his posture and adjusted his bowtie. "Now we have a phone call to make."

**The Samaritan**

In the outer reaches of Dorian Prime's orbit, the rest of the Dalek fleet awaited orders from their command ship to begin the final assault on the planet below. The sudden destruction of eleven of their ships and their advancing forces had surprised them. A regroup was called and a solution created. All was in place for the final engagement .

Aboard the command ship, a red Drone Dalek rolled before the white Supreme Dalek's platform. "The fleet awaits your command."

The dome of the Supreme Dalek turned toward a viewing screen and stared out at the planet below. "The garrison on the moon Tress will be the first to fall. We will lead the assault. The remaining fleet will descend to the planet and locate the transmitting Dalek. Then we will exterminate the humans!"

The Daleks moving about the ship joined in, their voices shrill and climbing in pitch and volume, "Exterminate the humans! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"Hello, Dalek command ship!"

The cacophony ceased immediately. The Supreme Dalek's dome turned about. "What is this? Explain! Explain!"

The screen changed and was suddenly dominated by the Doctor's face. "Hello, there you are. Hi. I'm the Doctor. We've met once or twice. Don't suppose you remember?"

"You were at the asylum," the Supreme Dalek replied. "Explain!"

"Right, we are calling to broker a peace between the Daleks and the humans of Dorian Prime," the Doctor said. He held up his hands. "Now, before you go all 'exterminate' on us, know that we've detected the distress signal that brought you here and are working even now to locate its source. Once we have it we will transmit the coordinates and you can teleport your comrade to safety. Is that acceptable?"

"It is," said the Supreme Dalek.

"In the meantime we need you to halt any and all aggression and give us the time to find your missing Dalek," the Doctor said. "Is that acceptable?"

"It is," the Supreme Dalek answered.

"As a sign of good faith we are sending an emissary that you may teleport from Tress," the Doctor said. "He's not the most talkative of fellows but an eye stalk for an eye stalk, right?" The Doctor smiled and turned toward people the Daleks could not see. He turned back. "They don't think that's funny."

"Humor is pointless," the Supreme Dalek said.

The Doctor adjusted his bowtie, "Everybody's a critic."

"Your terms are acceptable you have two hours to comply or we will…"

The Doctor nodded, "Yes, yes exterminate, exterminate, exterminate."

"Correct."

"See you in two hours."

**The Samaritan**

The Executor's TARDIS materialized as a large trash bin in an alley behind the Senate Building. The Doctor climbed out. "I have the signal. I'll locate its source and contact you. Good luck." He turned and headed off as the bin disappeared.

Aboard the TARDIS, the Executor stood at the door and checked his maverick. The dingy tool was a foot long and made entirely of metal. Anodized rings made up the most of the leading third, the device capped with a black light. Twirling it in his hand, the lower portion split in half, the bottom folding down to form a pistol grip. Twirling it again and the next bottom third folded down forming a forward grip. At the same time the top portion of the lower third slid back forming a stock of sorts. Another twirl and the device returned to its cylindrical shape.

"I don't think I'm that good yet," Jenny said, holding hers.

"It's all in the mind," the Executor said. "Just think and it will comply." He gave her a half-smile. "The twirling is just for show." There was a bell indicating that they had landed.

"Wonder what she looks like now?" Jenny asked. The door spiraled open and they stepped outside. The TARDIS was pile of rubble. Jenny turned as the Executor moved away from the craft. "You be careful."

The Executor gave her a grim smile. "One day I'll try that." He suddenly glowed with brilliant light and then disappeared.

His vision cleared and he was on a ship with a massive open floor plan and done in the color of brass. A door opened and red-colored Drone Dalek rolled inside. The Executor whipped the drape of his coat back and reached for his maverick.

"The human will come with me," the Dalek said.

The Executor stood still and said nothing.

The Dalek rolled closer. "The human will come with me."

The Executor let his coat fall back over his sidearm. "Lead the way." The Dalek turned and he followed.

**The Samaritan**

On Dorian Prime, the Doctor followed the readings around to the front of the Senate Building. He collapsed his sonic screwdriver and tucked it back into his pocket. Climbing the steps he met the same guard as before. He gave the young man a salute before pointing inside.

"Jenny managed to leave a communicator, she sent me to get it," he lied. The guard gestured. The Doctor gave him another salute and headed off.

Once he was out of sight he resumed scanning with his screwdriver following the signal down a flight of stairs to the lower level. The signal became distorted when he approached the building's power plant but it was obvious he was heading in the right direction. What was less obvious was the man following him. Using his screwdriver to gain access to the power plant control room, he stood in front of one of the towering generators and contemplated his next move.

"Excuse me."

The Doctor turned and found a robed man with white receding hair standing nearby. His posture was dignified and stoic. He was obviously a member of the Senate. The Doctor bowed elaborately, "Pardon me Senator, there was a… malfunction. I'm just trying to locate the problem."

"I admit that I know very little of technology," Senator Haka said, "but I'm sure the lights being on is a good indication that everything is in order." He pointed. "I remember seeing you with Jenny of Messaline."

"My daughter," the Doctor said. "I am ever so proud. She called me in to help."

"And your helping has brought you here?" Haka asked.

"Indeed it has," the Doctor confirmed. "However I am at a loss as to where to go next."

"That's because the signal is being amplified by the generator, not coming from it."

The Doctor slowly turned towards the politician. "Really?"

Haka sighed. "I was raised on a farm. I remember prosperous years and I remember lean years. I remember the droughts, the fires, the intense heat, the early winters. Then suddenly it all changed. I didn't question it at first but now. These things, these Daleks fight with earnest. They have a cause and it's not conquest. I tried to learn what it is. In doing so I found the signal. I even found a way to its source. What I haven't found is a way inside."

"What would you do with this source?" the Doctor asked.

"The Daleks want it," Haka replied. "I would barter our lives for it. Ours was a good society before all this. It was harder, of course, but it was good. Besides, what we've managed to learn these past five years will not go to waste, unless those creatures destroy us."

"It's rare that a politician sees the big picture," the Doctor said. He held up his sonic screwdriver. "I think my key will fit the lock."

"Then follow me," Haka said with a gesture.

He led the Doctor further into the power plant to a large cabinet whose doors were locked with a complex keypad. The Doctor pointed his screwdriver and the lock disengaged. The doors opened revealing a elevator. The politician and the Time Lord stepped inside and the doors closed. The elevator descended a moment later.

**The Samaritan**

Jenny placed the last weapons crate on a table inside the fractured fortress. There were only fifty able-bodied soldiers ready to fight a million Daleks from a fortress that was more like a house of cards than a battle station. Still they were steadfast and dauntless in their mission. If they were to fall, they would do so fighting.

"Mum, we've done all we can," one of the soldiers said. He looked around, "Didn't think it would end like this."

Jenny gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "It hasn't ended yet. There is hope. My father and my friend are out there. We'll be fine." She looked out at the shambling force, a worried look on her face, "Just fine."

**The Samaritan**

Aboard the Dalek ship, the Executor had been taken to a room with a chair and window. He stared out at all the ships in the fleet. His jaw set as his old hatred tugged at him. His eyes glinted at the thought of all those ships burning. He could do it. He was in the right place. The right signal, a massive energy feedback loop transmitted from this ship would annihilate every stinking Dalek in a supernova of fire and death…

He let out an exasperated breath. Panting, he rested his forehead against the window. Involuntary tears slid down his face. He looked through the window but turned his gaze to Tress. Jenny and her garrison was depending on him and the Doctor to make peace. He needed to control his rage and channel it toward that end. If anything went wrong… He looked back at the Dalek ships.

"I will speak with the human."

The Executor turned as a blue Dalek rolled into the room. "Hello Dalek."

"The human will sit."

The Executor took a seat. "And what shall we talk about?"

"I am a Dalek of the new paradigm. I am a strategist. I have been sent to address our concerns following your compliance."

"Once we've complied the deal is done and you will leave," the Executor said.

"That was not agreed upon. The Supreme Dalek agreed to postpone your extermination for two hours to allow you to return our Dalek. Upon your compliance we have a demand."

"And that is?"

"Justice."

"Justice?"

"We demand justice." the blue Dalek rolled toward the window and looked out into space. "We have heard the cries of our Dalek. We feel its pain. We demand justice for its mistreatment."

"That can and will be handled at the appropriate time," the Executor said.

The dome swiveled around and faced the Executor. "You will guarantee this. We do not need to make this demand. Our ships are superior. Daleks are superior. We would exterminate all humans and take our justice."

"That's not justice, that's revenge," the Executor said.

"Irrelevant," the Dalek said. "You will give us justice or we will exterminate all humans."

"That would be ill-advised," the Executor said, his anger rising. Fighting it, he cleared his throat. "Your terms are acceptable. Justice is guaranteed."

**The Samaritan**

The Doctor and Senator Haka emerged from the elevator into a large room with bronze walls and a reflective copper-colored floor. The room was full of fantastic equipment. Haka examined the closest items in awe. The Doctor followed behind and scanned them with his screwdriver. They appeared sleeker and more advanced than anything he had seen so far. This would be the next generation of technology.

"Amazing," Haka breathed. He turned to the Doctor. "Where are we? How is this possible? We have intelligent minds but this… Who came up with this?"

The Doctor reacquired the signal and followed it to a large cylinder. There was a keypad next to it. A quick buzz and the cylinder rose to reveal the architect of the Dorian Prime Technological Renaissance. Its skirt and shoulders were horribly damaged. Its dome was dented and cracked. Its eye stalk was bent, the blue eye flickering in and out. There was a smell, the smell of burning flesh. Wires ran into the cracks and openings. Its casing was orange in color at one time but was now singed almost completely.

"Hello Dalek," the Doctor said leaning in.

"What is that doing here?" Haka asked.

"We are aboard a Dalek ship that likely crashed here five years ago." He gestured to the Dalek. "This is the source of the transmission and all your recent prosperity." He scanned the wires. A few of them were for life support. The rest just carried electric current. He registered pulses at varying intervals. The Doctor collapsed his screwdriver and placed it in his pocket.

"What do you mean?" Haka asked.

"Someone must have found it," the Doctor said. He ran a hand through his hair. "They imprisoned it here and tortured it until it gave them the secrets to Dalek technology. You're not innovators, you're scavengers. Except that you've scavenged a living thing and kept it alive in absolute agony so that your prosperity could continue."

"I want no part of this," Haka said aghast. "Can we release it?"

"I don't think it could go anywhere if it wanted to." the Doctor found three living tentacles that had burrowed into the wall. He fingered them gingerly. "Smart little Dalek. It patched into the generator and called for help along a sub-wave."

"Help," Haka asked realizing. "That's the cause they fight for! They want their… man back." He frowned. "Why wouldn't they just say so?"

The Doctor's face was stern. "They would. They did." He thought about the aforementioned emissaries that had fallen in the quest for peace. While he did not doubt their deaths, the persons responsible were in question. "We need to find a communicator."

"Perhaps in the other room," Haka suggested.

They walked into a larger room that was dominated by a massive computer. There they found Janus standing at the interface. He turned as they arrived, surprised. Still, he went back to work.

"Council Leader Janus," Haka said. "You're aware of what is going on here?"

"Of course," Janus said. "There is very little that happens on this planet that I don't know about."

Haka squared his shoulders. "On Senate authority, you will cease, desist, and submit yourself for judiciary review!"

"I will do no such thing!" Janus said. He stepped away from the console. "Look around you. Behold my works! See what I have done. We were on the verge of extinction. Now we live in paradise!"

"Paradise that comes at the cost of unimaginable suffering is folly," Haka countered. "And that suffering has brought more suffering. How many of ours have died among the moons? How many more will die? The Daleks want their kinsman. Give him up and end this conflict!"

"Do you not seen the wonders here?" Janus asked. "All of it is from that creature, and there is more! Imagine what else it could fathom. It is, from what we can tell, a creature of science. It was bred to invent. I allow it to do as it was intended."

"Under the lash!" Haka roared. "You've made it a slave!"

"I've seen into its mind and read its thoughts, Haka," Janus said. "Slavery is a luxury compared to what it actually deserves. I consider its current state penance. You would to."

"The Daleks will destroy this planet and every man woman and child on it," the Doctor said.

Janus turned toward the interface. "Not after this. I admit that I lied to the Senate, Haka. Our weapon is not on the ground, but rather in a hidden satellite in the heavens. It was Mistral's idea. She has a keen mind for strategy and we've harnessed all of our enemy's strengths."

"You can't expect to defend against an entire fleet with just one weapon," the Doctor said.

Janus laughed. "No, Doctor. I intend to galvanize our people; to unite them against our enemy and show the Daleks that we are as resolute as them." He turned and entered a command. "They will learn."

The Doctor raced over and shoved him aside. "What have you done?" Pressing keys, the screen scrolled through bits of data. It stopped on a large unsolved equation. The Doctor stared at it and remembered seeing it on the glass walls of a space station far away.

"It begins, Doctor," Janus said. "The Daleks will see our strength and flee back to the depths of hell from whence they came." He was suddenly seized by Haka. "Unhand me!"

Haka grabbed him by the collar of his robe and punched him in the face. Janus crumpled to the ground unconscious. Haka turned back to the Doctor. "What did he do?"

"He activated the weapon," the Doctor said. He punched at the keys for a few moments before waving his sonic screwdriver over the controls. "I can't stop it!"

"Where is it aimed?" Haka asked.

The Doctor read the screen. "Tress, he aimed it at Tress." The Doctor he buzzed the interface again, freeing up the communications. "Jenny! Jenny!"

**The Samaritan**

Jenny stood atop the wall and stared up at the hovering Dalek fleet. The two hours were nearly up. She turned back to give the order to prepare for battle when a shadow passed over the fortress. Looking up she saw a saucer-shaped satellite soar overhead. Its center opened revealing a bright light. She frowned at it. It was not from the Daleks. It was from Dorian Prime. What was it doing? An eerie feeling crept into her bones.

"What is that?"

"Is it theirs?"

"No, that's ours."

Jenny looked down, the realization dawning. "Everyone follow me! She ran along the wall and down the stairs to the ground. "Follow me, everyone! Everybody now!"

**The Samaritan**

"Energy surge detected!" the blue Dalek said.

The Executor went to the window and watched as a streak of blue light shot down onto Tress, appearing to come from the underside of a Dalek ship. There was a massive explosion. His eyes went wide. The fortress was gone. It had been destroyed. Jenny, the soldiers, all of it was gone.

"Scanners indicate weapon is of Dalek origin."

The Executor hung his head. "Of course it is." His shoulders slumped. His hand went to his belt and deactivated the bio-damper and perception filters

The Dalek turned to him, its eye stalk moving up and down. "Deactivation of bio-damper detected. New readings recorded! Weapons detected! Subject is not human! Not human! Subject is…"

The Executor drew his maverick. With a twirl, both grips descended and the stock slid into place. He pointed it directly at the Dalek's eye. "Time Lord."

**The Samaritan**

Sirens wailed aboard the Dalek Command ship as it rocked and heaved from explosion after explosion. The Supreme Dalek along with its guard of drones rolled along the corridors as bedlam and mayhem beset reigned.

"Locate the Time Lord intruder!" the Supreme Dalek ordered as they entered the bridge. "He is the enemy. Seek! Locate! Destroy!"

Another explosion and the craft pitched violently. The saucer seemed to dive for a few moments before righting itself.

"The Supreme Dalek will be protected," the drones shrilled.

"Scanners indicate enemy is on the command deck!"

"All Daleks intercept!" the Supreme Dalek ordered. "Exterminate the enemy. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"

"Potential target is the bridge!"

"Secure the bridge. Secure! Secure! Secure!"

Fire and debris roiled down the shiny-smooth path, licking at the bronze ceiling. The Executor moved beneath them. Daleks emerged from adjoining corridors only to be destroyed one after another. The Executor ran among their charred remains, his maverick dealing death. His demeanor was one of icy cool but hatred burned in his eyes. He was going to the bridge. From there he would send the feedback loop that would destroy the Dalek fleet and put an end to their pointless, hateful lives.

He came to an intersection and immediately dove for cover dodging blast after blast from a staggered phalanx of Daleks guarding the entrance to the bridge and the controls he would need. There were too many for just one maverick. He reached behind his back and drew a second, matching maverick. A twirl and it mirrored the one in his right hand. With a snarl, he spun from cover.

His coat flaring behind him, he charged the advancing Daleks. They hesitated, his gambit unexpected. That was all he needed. With one maverick he destroyed the lead Dalek. The other took out the Daleks at the edges. The two remaining began to retreat. Using the destroyed lead as cover, he closed the distance, seeing past the immediate threat to the bridge beyond. There were four red Daleks inside along with a white one.

Reaching the burning hulk he stepped up onto its ruined skirt and jumped into the air. The retreating Daleks were staggered. The Executor flew over the closest, shooting through its eyestalk as it moved to follow him. He landed in a crouch in front of the last one in line and destroyed it with both mavericks. He stepped past its smoking ruin as the doors to the bridge closed.

On the bridge, the drones flanked the Supreme Dalek, facing the door and the threat on the other side. "All remaining Daleks to the bridge," the Supreme Dalek ordered. "Exterminate the intruder! Protect the Supreme Dalek!"

The room suddenly went black. All was dark save for the glowing eyes of the Daleks.

"Restore power!" the Supreme Dalek said.

"Activate low-light vision!"

The room was briefly lit by a flash of light and an explosion before darkness returned. The number of bobbing eyestalks was down to four.

"Triangular defense formation! Protect the Supreme Dalek! Locate the intruder! Exter-!"

Another explosion and then there were three.

"All responding Daleks expedite! Expe-!"

Two…

The remaining drone fired in all directions, its blasts drawing sparks off the walls ceiling and floors. It began screaming wordlessly his dome rotating independent of his shoulders. Its cry was cut off. And then there was one.

All was quiet save for the muffled alarms from outside and the whirr of the Supreme Dalek as its parts turned and moved in place.

"You believe that I fear you?" the Supreme Dalek asked. "I am a Supreme Dalek of the new paradigm. We are superior in every way, pure in every way! You are-"

There were three quiet chirps and the lights reactivated. The Dalek stopped, its eyestalk facing behind it, its weapons facing the door. It stared down the business end of a maverick and the Time Lord holding it. The Executor stared right back. The guards were destroyed smoldering wrecks.

"Who am I?" the Executor asked. The mechanical monstrosity was silent. The Executor tapped its eyestalk with his maverick, "Who!"

"You… are… The Bane of Skaro," it said slowly.

"Who?"

A quake could be heard in the Dalek's voice when it said, "Slayer of the Seventh Legion."

"Who?"

The Dalek began to shake. "The Time Lord Merciless."

"Who am I?!"

"THE EXECUTOR!" The Dalek cried.

_"Executor from the Doctor! Executor from the Doctor! Come in Executor! We see what's happening! Stop! Stop! It wasn't them! They didn't fire!"_

_"Move Dad, Executor! Executor, it's Jenny!"_

The Executor pointed his other maverick, now collapsed, and a screen activated displaying Jenny's frantic face. She focused on him and gave him a frightened smile.

"It's all right! I saw the satellite and evacuated everyone into the TARDIS. I thought it would keep us safe like a bunker but she helped me. She taught me to fly her. We got out just in time."

The Doctor edged back in front. "The Daleks didn't fire. It came from Dorian Prime. We have the one responsible. Supreme Dalek we've found your missing comrade and are transmitting his coordinates. Executor stop this! Stand down!"

Breathing hard, the Executor stared at the white Dalek with absolute contempt. His arm did not waver. He could still destroy them. One shot and this _Supreme_ Dalek would be junk like the others. A few seconds at the controls and the sky would erupt with the deaths of the rest. It would be over in less than a minute. They would burn; burn like Gallifrey. He turned to the screen.

"Who is responsible?" he asked.

The Doctor stepped aside and gestured to Janus. "He is. He's responsible for all of it. You must stop this now. The Daleks are… innocent."

The Executor scoffed. He looked back to the Supreme Dalek. "Does your teleport have line-of-sight capability?"

"Yes."

The Executor pointed his collapsed maverick at the controls for the teleport. It rapidly chirped three times and Janus disappeared from the screen and reappeared on the bridge along with the injured Dalek. The Executor also unlocked the secured bridge doors revealing dozens of Dalek drones on the other side. They filed in and surrounded the injured Dalek. Others surrounded the Executor and the Supreme Dalek as well as a bewildered Janus.

"New terms," the Executor said. "I will leave this place with no further loss of life."

"Acceptable."

"You will do the same."

"You guaranteed justice!"

"You should report to be assessed, Dalek, as your auditory receptors seem to be malfunctioning," the Executor said. "I said you will leave this place with no further loss of life. What you do afterward is up to you."

"Understood."

"What?" Janus asked, terrified. "What do you mean? You can't!"

The Executor finally lowered his maverick. With a twirl it collapsed into its cylindrical configuration before he tucked it back into its holster. He turned and took a step towards the screen, disappearing in a flash of light.


	6. S

**S**

The Doctor and Jenny sat in the control room of the Executor's TARDIS as it hurtled through the Time Vortex. They had departed Dorian Prime buoyed by the gratitude of its people. The Executor had been quiet and sullen, handing controls of his beloved ship to Jenny and disappearing into its deeper confines. His explosion of rage had rattled him.

"He really would've done it," Jenny said. "He would've killed them all."

The Doctor nodded. "It was what made him an effective soldier."

Jenny frowned looking at the floor, "The things that Dalek called him." She looked up at her father, "Did they have names like that for you?"

The Doctor's face screwed up in an attempt to hide the shame and small degree of pride. "Yes they did. Among other things I was called 'The Oncoming Storm'."

"Would you have destroyed them?" Jenny asked.

"If… there was no other way," the Doctor said. He nodded. "But I would have given them the chance Jenny. It's the chance to change, to be better, that they would have to ignore. That did not come easily. It took me some time before I would even consider it."

"And the Executor?"

"He would say their chance came this morning when, instead of hitting the snooze button and going back to bed, they got up and went on with their day," the Doctor said grimly.

"You make him sound like a monster," she replied.

"He is a monster," the Doctor said. "So am I. So would anyone who saw what we saw and did what we did. Not a day goes by that I don't wonder what I would be like without the people in my life. The Executor has never had that." He touched her hand. "But…"

Jenny looked up from staring into her thoughts. "Today you witnessed something truly special," said the Doctor. "That Dalek fleet is the first to survive a battle with him. Today is the day The Time Lord Merciless showed mercy."

"That's because we stopped him," Jenny said.

The Doctor shook his head. "No one can stop the Executor when he has a mind to do something."

"Then why do you suppose he did it?" Jenny asked.

The Doctor shrugged with his hands. "I don't know for sure but, I have a theory." He looked at her.

"Me?"

"Maybe it was," said the Doctor standing, "and maybe it wasn't." He held out his hand. "Come with me."

Jenny took her father's hand and followed him to the door. "We're still moving."

"It's time for something that's long overdue," the Doctor said. "Close your eyes." He pressed a button on the wall. The door spiraled open. He stood behind Jenny and put his hands on her shoulders. "When a child of Gallifrey enters the Time Lord Academy they are shown the Untempered Schism. It is the entirety of the Time Vortex and the source of a Time Lord's power. This may be difficult but I want you to open your eyes and look. Just look."

Jenny took a breath and steeled herself. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked out the door of the TARDIS and into the depths of infinity. At first she saw nothing but the coiling maelstrom. Then she felt inundated by an unseen energy that filled her. It brought understanding and knowledge.

There was a flash, a supernova in her mind. Power surged within her. She did not notice but she began to glow with radiant light. The TARDIS disappeared, her father disappeared it all disappeared. She was adrift in the vortex; apart of everything and nothing. She saw the limit of infinity and the turn of the universe. Tears streamed down her face as she found her place in Creation.

The TARDIS, her father, and everything returned. She turned and hugged him. "I understand, Dad. I understand."

"Of course you do," the Doctor said his hands on her face, wiping at her tears. "You're my daughter."

"Then you'll understand," Jenny said. "I have to help him. He's no different than I was when I was born. He needs guidance. He needs me."

The Doctor stroked her hair and searched her face. He saw the certainty in her eyes and nodded. "I do. And I am very, very proud of you." He held her tight, "My Jenny."

"No," Jenny said her voice taking on a profound tone. "You are the Doctor. He is the Executor. I shall be the Samaritan. I will help when I can, whomever I can." She smiled gaining new understanding and knowledge. "I will show no prejudice, no bias. All are deserving of my charity and mercy. I am the Samaritan, daughter of the Doctor, Time Lord of Gallifrey."

"The Samaritan," the Doctor said. "That is a fantastic name."

**The Samaritan**

The sky was gray. Rain fell on the edge of London and the home where Amy and Rory lived. It was the weekend, late in the morning. Rory was inside cleaning. Amy was sitting between the open doors of the TARDIS. They had been telling friends that the odd police box in their backyard was a friend's idea of a gag gift that they were waiting to return. The control room behind her was dark, the TARDIS waiting for her thief to come back. Sitting with her knees under her chin and wrapped in a throw, Amy stared out at the dismal weather.

Hearing soft footsteps behind her, she slid to one side and allowed room for the Doctor to sit. They were quiet for a moment, watching and listening to the rain. The Doctor held out a hand and caught a few drops. "How long?"

"Three months," Amy replied simply.

"I'm sorry."

"Not good enough," Amy said with a shake of her head. "You can't do that; just dump us whenever you feel like it."

"It wasn't like that at all," the Doctor said. "Where I was going, what was happening; I couldn't guarantee your safety. I am going to get you right Amelia Pond."

"We were worried about you," Amy said. "I mean another TARDIS drops in and your _daughter_ gets out with Mister Big Bad Time Lord. Something was wrong and we wanted to help." She squeezed his hand. "You're not alone, you know. You have a family. I love you, Raggedy Man. I've stood over your grave before and I never want to do it again."

"You won't," the Doctor promised.

"So where are they?" Amy asked.

"Traveling," the Doctor said, "helping people, helping each other."

"She couldn't do that with you?" Amy asked.

The Doctor smiled, staring at the ground, "She could but he needs her more right now." He looked up at the sky. "She chose a name. She is the Samaritan."

"Traveling, getting into trouble, helping people. I see the resemblance," Amy said. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. "Don't push us away, Raggedy Man."

The Doctor planted a kiss on her head. "Yes mum." After a few moments of silence he said, "I brought a picnic basket."

"Another apology meal?" asked Amy. "Well you picked an awful day for it." She gestured to the rain.

"The weather is absolutely perfect in New York City?" asked the Doctor.

"Ooo, a picnic in Central Park?" Amy draped the throw over her head stood. "I'll get Rory."

**The**

**End**


End file.
